AI.WOMEN Hackathon 2026

AI.WOMEN Hackathon — 12–13 September 2026, Hamburg

Two full days to explore, experiment, and build with AI — together, in a space created for women.
AI.WOMEN is an initiative by Petra Vorsteher and AI.GROUP that brings together women working with AI, exploring AI use cases, or taking their very first steps into the field. The community has been growing fast, and so has the appetite for more hands-on ways to get involved. The Hackathon is our response to that demand: we're expanding what we offer so women have the space, time, and support to build with AI tools — side by side, learning from and empowering each other.

It's an open, welcoming space to build something real — a first prototype or an ambitious project you finally have the time and room for. Whatever you bring, code or ideas, it counts. Up to 300 women will participate, supported by female AI mentors, with an all-female jury and awards for standout teams.

Who this is for
What all participants share is the urge to build with AI and the openness to learn alongside other women. Beyond that, the room is deliberately mixed: engineers, data scientists, and developers who are looking for two days to push the AI tools as far as they'll go; designers who care how things look and feel; product thinkers focused on problems and users; and people from completely non-technical fields curious about what AI can do in their work. Whatever you bring, you are welcome here.
The same is true for where you are in your career. Whether you are still studying or just finished, in your first job or your twentieth year, junior or senior, you are invited. In fact, we hope for exactly this range: the more different the backgrounds and experiences in the room, the more everyone learns, and the better the things we build together.

What the two days look like
Day 1 — Saturday is about getting started. After arrival and a warm welcome, you'll find your team (more about that in the FAQ section), get to know the AI tools, and dive into building. There's food and coffee throughout the day, a moment to pause and recharge, and time to keep going into the evening for those who want to.

Day 2 — Sunday is about bringing it home. You'll have the morning and early afternoon to finish your project and prepare a short presentation. In the afternoon, the best teams get to present their projects in front of all the other participants, the jury reviews the work, and the standout teams are recognized. We then close the weekend together over food and conversation.

Saturday: 09:00 until around 22:00–23:00. Sunday: 09:00 until around 21:00.

The full schedule will be shared with participants ahead of the event.

What to expect
- Two full days of building, learning, and exchange, in a space created for women
- Teams of up to five — join with a team already in mind, or find one before or at the event
- Build and experiment with AI, from a first idea to an AI project you can present — prototype without code, or go as technical as you like
- Female AI mentors are there throughout the weekend to support you and your team
- An all-female jury, looking at how you use AI, what you built with it, and how clearly you share it
- Awards to celebrate the standout teams of the weekend
- The best teams are invited to AI.SUMMIT, AI.GROUP's flagship annual AI event

AI Mentors
You won't be building alone. Throughout the weekend, a team of experienced female AI mentors is there for you and your team — as sparring partners. They're people to pressure-test your idea with, talk through an approach, surface an AI tool, model, or technique you might not know about, and share what they've learned from building with AI. The project stays yours entirely: mentors won't take it over or build it for you. What they offer is sharp input, a fresh perspective, and someone to think out loud with whenever you want to move an idea forward.

How can you participate?
Places are approval-based. Once you apply and are approved, your place is confirmed — and when the event fills up, a waitlist opens, with a chance to join if a place becomes free.
The event is open to women aged 18 and over, and the working language throughout the weekend is English. Taking part is free for all participants.

Registration is now open: https://luma.com/zh2gkqd0

FAQ

Do I need to know how to code? No. Teams bring together all kinds of skills, and there's just as much room to contribute through ideas, product thinking, design, storytelling, or coordination as through code. If you've never used an AI tool before, mentors and teammates are there to help you find your way. And if you do code, you'll have two uninterrupted days and mentors on hand to build something as deep and technical as you want.

I have a technical/coding background — will there be enough depth for me? For Sure! Plenty of participants are engineers, data scientists, and developers, and the format is built for depth as much as for first steps. You'll have two uninterrupted days, mentors who build with AI themselves, and complete freedom over how far you push your project — from advanced tooling and models to a fully working build. What you make of the time is entirely up to you.

Do I need a team before I apply? Not at all. You can apply on your own or with teammates already in mind. Ahead of the event, approved participants can connect, share ideas, and team up in advance — and if you arrive without a team, there's a dedicated time slot at the start of Day 1 to meet others and form one. Whether you already have people or find them on the day, you will not build alone.

Do I need to attend both days? Yes. This is a two-day event, and by registering you're committing to take part on both days. Because the hackathon is built around teams, this matters for more than just you: teams that lose a member partway through can be left without a key person, which makes the experience less productive and less rewarding for everyone in the group. Committing to both days is how we make sure every team can do their best work together.

How big are the teams, and how many people will be there? Teams are up to five people. We expect up to 300 women to participate over the two days.

Is food provided? Yes — meals, snacks, and drinks are provided across both days. Once you're approved, you'll be able to share any dietary needs with us.

I'm traveling from another city — can you help with accommodation? Let us know in your application. We'll do our best to help participants traveling in from outside Hamburg find a place to stay.

Is childcare available? We're currently exploring whether we can offer childcare during the event. If you'd be interested, let us know in your application — including which days and how many children — and we'll factor it into our planning.

About AI.WOMEN
AI.WOMEN is an initiative by Petra Vorsteher and AI.GROUP that brings together women working with AI, exploring AI use cases, or beginning their journey into the field. Through formats like the AI.WOMEN Circle, the community creates space for meaningful exchange, practical insights, and supportive networking across roles, industries, and levels of experience — making women in AI more visible, connected, and involved in shaping the future of work, business, and society. It's built on a simple belief: that AI should be shaped by diverse voices, and that we go further when we learn from and support one another.

About AI.GROUP
AI.GROUP is a growing AI ecosystem that has spent years promoting AI innovation from Germany and Europe and its application in business. It grew out of AI.HAMBURG, founded in 2019, and today brings together AI.HUB, an innovation platform supporting companies and startups from training and use-case development through to implementation and scaling; AI.FUND, an early-stage venture fund, and AI.IMPACT, which provides AI consulting and project delivery — alongside its flagship annual event, AI.SUMMIT.

Questions?
Reach out to us any time at [email protected].

AI.WOMEN Hackathon — an AI.WOMEN event, powered by AI.GROUP.